Italian meats company may pass on Millville, take Vineland site instead

VINELAND – The city is preparing to sell almost 26 acres in Vineland Industrial Park - South to an Italian meat processing firm that only recently was committed to a larger site in Millville.

The City Council on Tuesday night took the first step, introducing an ordinance that would transfer the property title to the Industrial Commission. The Industrial Commission then would handle the sale to Rovagnati USA, according to city Solicitor Richard Tonetta.

The ordinance states the property would be sold for $903,000. The property comprises two lots with 25.8 acres, bordered by state Route 55 and Oak Road, and near a water-filled former sand wash.

Tonetta earlier Tuesday said the city does not have a finalized sale agreement, yet.

.(Photo: File photo)

On July 2, the Millville City Commission approved a memorandum of understanding with Rovagnati that designated the company as a “conditional redeveloper” for a parcel of about 44 acres off Bogden Boulevard in the James R. Hurley Industrial Park.

Contact between Millville and Rovagnati started in 2018, and a land sale agreement was reached in October 2018. The agreement was amended this February to give the company more time to consider the property.

The Millville industrial park presented a regulatory problem because food processing was not an accepted use. The city agreed to amend its regulations to clear a path.

“While city officials welcomed Rovagnati USA to Millville for its expansion in the United States, they ultimately withdrew their development application with the Millville Planning Board,” Millville Planning Director Samantha Silvers said Tuesday.

Rovagnati proposed to Millville first opening a 42,000-square-foot processing facility. Subsequent expansion was to yield 536,554 square feet of building area.

The City Council will hold a public hearing on the ordinance at its August 13 meeting. A final vote should follow the hearing.